This invention relates to blenders for mixing liquids, liquids and powders, or similar products. More particularly, it pertains to beverage blenders in which a dry powder, for example, is mixed with a liquid such as water to produce a potable beverage.
Beverage blenders of this general type are commonly included in vending machines of the type that dispense soft drinks, coffee, cocoa, and other beverages so that a relatively small volume of dry powder supply can be used with tap water to provide a large number of drinks without frequent replenishing and without a large liquid reservoir, but at the same time it is of course important that the blending be accomplished rapidly and automatically to satisfy customer demands.
A typical prior art example of a blender of this type is disclosed in Joschko U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,292, issued Feb. 2, 1965, for a Beverage Mixing Device. That device has a horizontally disposed cylindrical casing mounted on a panel, and has a laterally offset inlet port located generally adjacent the top of one end of the casing and an outlet port located at the bottom of the other end. An impeller rotates on a longitudinal axis within the casing and has axially aligned blades that have a greater radial extent at the inlet end of the casing than at the outlet end, which is said to produce enhanced mixing near the inlet and smooth flow at the outlet.
The present invention represents a substantial advance over the prior art and particularly over the blender of the Joschko patent as it provides faster, more uniform blending and rapid discharge.